top of page

Some previous guests...

A book podcast for everyone.

If you're not a gay reader,
we hope you're a happy one.

Created to amplify queer and ally voices, Gays Reading celebrates LGBTQIA+ and ally authors and storytellers.

Host Jason Blitman is joined by authors, Guest Gay Readers, and other special guests for weekly conversations.

Gays Reading Oscar Wilde logo
Gays Reading Podcast logo
GAYS READING_edited.png
Listen

Follow @gaysreading

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Ira Madison III (Pure Innocent Fun) feat. Todd Almond, Guest Gay Reader
01:06:34
Host Jason Blitman talks to Ira Madison III (Pure Innocent Fun) about everything from reading Entertainment Weekly in the cafe at Barnes & Noble to elements of nostalgia like their mutual love of the pink Power Ranger, the importance of Limewire, and the best Sondheim musicals. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Todd Almond (Slow Train Coming) about what he's reading (a lot!) and Todd shares more about his book, which chronicles his experience opening a Broadway show just days before Covid. Ira Madison III is the host of Crooked Media’s pop culture podcast Keep It. His television writing credits include Uncoupled, Q-Force, Nikki Fre$h, and So Help Me Todd. He has written for GQ, New York Magazine, Interview, MTV News, and Cosmopolitan, among other publications. Nylon named him one of the “most reliably hilarious and incisive cultural critics writing now.” He has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Watch What Happens Live, The Wendy Williams Show, and the second season of the Netflix drama You. Ira Madison III lives in New York City. Todd Almond is an acclaimed performer, songwriter, and playwright. His recent performance on Broadway in Girl from the North Country was called “stunning” by The Washington Post and “roof-raising, uplifting, and invigorating” by Hollywood Reporter. His musical The Odyssey, for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics, was hailed as “brash, funny and heart-stirring” by The New York Times. His theater piece Kansas City Choir Boy was called “awesome, slyly punk rock” by Rolling Stone. His original musical I’m Almost There played at the Edinburgh Fringe festival and New York’s Minetta Lane Theater in 2024. BOOK CLUB! Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply. http://aardvarkbookclub.com WATCH! https://youtube.com/@GaysReading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com
Daniel Black (Isaac's Song) feat. R.K. Russell, Guest Gay Reader
01:04:15
Host Jason Blitman talks to author Daniel Black (Isaac's Song) about father-son relationships, masculinity, vulnerability, and Black's Rate My Professor reviews. Jason then welcomes this week's Guest Gay Reader, former NFL player R.K. Russell (The Yards Between Us) and they talk about books and representation in sports and literature. Daniel Black is an author and professor of African American studies at Clark Atlanta University. His books include The Coming, Perfect Peace and They Tell Me of a Home. He is the winner of the Distinguished Writer Award from the Middle-Atlantic Writer's Association and has been nominated for the Townsend Prize for Fiction, the Ernest J. Gaines Award,and the Georgia Author of the Year Award. He was raised in Blackwell, Arkansas, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. R.K. Russell is a former professional football player in the NFL, and is a published author, social justice advocate, poet, essayist, and artist. In August of 2019, Russell made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual. Now in his powerful memoir The Yards Between Us, he shares his story and explores his love of football, the devastating tightrope of keeping his sexuality a secret, the tension between his private and public life, and the importance of crashing through barriers. A decorated defensive end who has played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has sacked Hall of Famers and gone up against the fiercest competitors at the height of their game. BOOK CLUB! Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply. http://aardvarkbookclub.com WATCH! https://youtube.com/@GaysReading BOOKS! Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page: https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading MERCH! Purchase your Gays Reading podcast merchandise HERE! https://gaysreading.myspreadshop.com/ FOLLOW! @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com
Nnedi Okorafor (Death of the Author) feat. Holly Stars, Guest Gay Reader
01:08:53
Host Jason Blitman talks to acclaimed author Nnedi Okorafor (Death of the Author) about her inspiration for the book, the personal tragedy that shaped its narrative, and her thoughts on the intersection of human artistry and AI. Then Jason talks to Guest Gay Reader, UK drag queen Holly Stars, who shares her recommendations for light-hearted reading and gives us a sneak peek into her own new release, Murder in the Dressing Room. Nnedi Okorafor is an international award-winning New York Times Bestselling novelist of science fiction and fantasy for children, young adults and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for drawing from African cultures to create captivating stories with unforgettable characters and evocative settings. Nnedi has received the World Fantasy, Nebula, Eisner and Lodestar Awards and multiple Hugo Awards, amongst others, for her books. Champions of her work include Neil Gaiman, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, George RR Martin, and Rick Riordan. Literary ancestors Diana Wynne Jones, Ursula K. Le Guin and Nawal El Saadawi also loved her work. Nnedi holds a PhD in Literature, two Master’s Degrees (Journalism and Literature) and lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her daughter Anyaugo. Learn more at nnedi.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@nnedi) and Instagram (@nnediokorafor). Holly Stars is a drag stand-up comedian and writer. She is the writer of the smash-hit drag murder mystery, Death Drop, a play that has had three runs on the West End and a UK and Ireland tour. Holly has two seasons of her own television series, Holly Stars: Inspirational, on Froot TV and OutTV, and regularly performs in London and around the UK. Her solo shows include: Justice For Holly, Nightmare Neighbour and Birthday. BOOK CLUB! Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply. http://aardvarkbookclub.com WATCH! https://youtube.com/@GaysReading BOOKS! Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page: https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading MERCH! Purchase your Gays Reading podcast merchandise HERE! https://gaysreading.myspreadshop.com/ FOLLOW! @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com
Kate Fagan (The Three Lives of Cate Kay) feat. Kathryn Budig, Guest Gay Reader
01:09:44
Host Jason Blitman talks to author Kate Fagan (The Three Lives of Cate Kay) about the intricacies of her novel, touching on themes of identity, ambition, the complexity of human relationships, and the many lives we live. Jason is then joined by guest gay reader Kathryn Budig who shares her current reads and insights from her own literary journey, including details about her imprint, Inky Phoenix, and its inaugural publication, Strange Beasts. The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the January 2025 Reese's Book Club pick, Target Book Club pick, and a Book of the Month selection. Kate Fagan is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Made Maddy Run, which was a semi-finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for literary sports writing. She is also the author of three additional nonfiction titles, a former professional basketball player, and spent seven years as a journalist at ESPN. Kate currently lives in Charleston with her wife, Kathryn Budig, and their dog, Ragnar. Kathryn Budig is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher, author, and founder of the online community Haus of Phoenix and The Inky Phoenix book club, with nearly half a million followers on Instagram and Facebook. She’s known for curating magical realism, historical fiction, and dark fantasy with a focus on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC themes and authors. In 2023, she founded Inky Phoenix Press in partnership with Bindery Books, where she has a thriving membership community. Budig is the co-host of the Webby Award-nominated podcast Free Cookies, was the yoga editor to Women’s Health magazine for five years, and author of both The Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga, and the bestselling Aim True. She lives in Charleston, SC with her wife, Kate Fagan, and their dog, Ragnar. BOOK CLUB! Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply. http://aardvarkbookclub.com WATCH! https://youtube.com/@GaysReading BOOKS! Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page: https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading MERCH! Purchase your Gays Reading podcast merchandise HERE! https://gaysreading.myspreadshop.com/ FOLLOW! @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com
Ann Patchett (Bel Canto) feat. Jason's 2024 Most Memorable Books
01:06:39
In the season finale of Gays Reading, host Jason Blitman sits down with Ann Patchett to discuss the annotated edition of her acclaimed novel Bel Canto. They explore the power of memory, the key to learning and appreciating opera, and much more. Ann shares stories about meeting Jim Parsons at Our Town on Broadway, attending the only baseball game of her life, and what she would say to her younger self who wrote Bel Canto. Tune in for Ann’s holiday book recommendations and Jason’s most memorable reads of the year. Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize for Fiction in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books. BOOK CLUB! Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply. http://aardvarkbookclub.com WATCH! https://youtube.com/@GaysReading BOOKS! Check out the list of books discussed on each episode on our Bookshop page: https://bookshop.org/shop/gaysreading MERCH! Purchase your Gays Reading podcast merchandise HERE! https://gaysreading.myspreadshop.com/ FOLLOW! @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

JASON BLITMAN

(he/him) is a theater director and arts and culture producer. He's been in conversation with authors like Gabrielle Zevin, Emily St. John Mandel, Jedidiah Jenkins, Lara Love Hardin, The Old Gays, among others. Jason produces and hosts the book podcast Gays Reading where recent guests include: Kaveh Akbar, Dolly Alderton, Angie Kim, Steven Rowley, Elif Shafak, R. Eric Thomas, and many more. Jason produced two seasons of the Books That Changed My Life Festival for JCC Manhattan and the Palm Springs Readers’ Festival for the Best Bookstore in Palm Springs. As the former Associate Artistic Director for TheaterWorksUSA, Jason cast the original Off-Broadway productions of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Pete the Cat, and Junie B’s Essential Survival Guide to School, as well as produced and developed dozens of new works. During his tenure in the artistic department at The Public Theater, he worked on 40+ productions including Tony Kushner's Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide…, The Apple Family Plays, and Fun Home. You can find him on Instagram @jasonblitman and jasonblitman.com

Host Jason Blitman headshot
Subscribe

Say hello!

Don't feel like emailing? Use this form.

Gays Reading horizontal logo

© 2024 Gays Reading Podcast

bottom of page